WASP-48 b
WASP-48 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting WASP-48 in the constellation Cygnus. It lies about 1,481 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2011 using the transit method.
How Big Is WASP-48 b?
WASP-48 b has a radius of 16.81 times that of Earth, or 1.50 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 254 times that of Earth.
Is WASP-48 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of WASP-48 b relative to the habitable zone of WASP-48 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Habitable zone of WASP-48: 1.234–2.897 AU (conservative: 1.563–2.747 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
See the full interactive habitable-zone view in the Exoplanet Explorer app ›
Orbit and Year Length
A year on WASP-48 b — one full orbit around WASP-48 — lasts 2.14 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year.
How Was WASP-48 b Discovered?
WASP-48 b was discovered in 2011 using the transit method, with observations from SuperWASP.
The transit method watches a star for the tiny, regular dip in brightness that occurs when a planet crosses in front of it. The depth and timing of these dips reveal the planet's size and orbital period.
How Far Away Is WASP-48 b?
WASP-48 b is 1,481.2 light-years (454.1 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,481 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 26,069,120 years to make the journey.
Earth Similarity Index
The Earth Similarity Index (ESI) scores how physically similar a planet is to Earth, from 0 to 1, based on radius, density, escape velocity and surface temperature. WASP-48 b scores 0.05, ranking #5,234 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: WASP-48
WASP-48
- Surface temperature
- 5,920 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.88 M☉
- Radius
- 1.58 R☉
Planetary System
WASP-48 b is the only planet known to orbit WASP-48 so far.
WASP-48 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 16.814 Earth radii (1.500 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 254.26 Earth masses (0.800 Jupiter masses) |
| Orbital period | 2.14 days |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.05 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,481.2 light-years (454.1 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | SuperWASP |
| Discovery year | 2011 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2018-04-25. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About WASP-48 b
Is WASP-48 b habitable?
WASP-48 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of WASP-48, and as a hot Jupiter it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is WASP-48 b?
WASP-48 b is about 1,481 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 26,069,120 years to get there.
How big is WASP-48 b compared to Earth?
WASP-48 b has 16.81 times the radius of Earth and about 254 times its mass.
How long is a year on WASP-48 b?
One orbit around WASP-48 takes 2.1 Earth days — short enough that 170 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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